Windmill.



Patented Feb; 25, I902.

E. PLAGMANN.

WIN DM LL.

(Application flled Apr. 8. 1901.)

2 sheets sheet I.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL PLAGMANN, OF MARENGO, IOYVA.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,300, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed April 8, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL PLAGMANN, a citi- .zen of the United States, residing at Maren go,

in the county of Iowa and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in \Vindmills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to windmills;and the principal object of the invention is to provide, in connection with a wind-wheel having a series of tilting blade-carrying frames, means capable of being operated near the ground for swinging the tilting frames for the purpose of adjusting the wheel-blades. In connection with the means for adjusting the blades I employ novel devices for automatically resetting the blade-carrying frames, which result takes place upon releasing the means by which the blade-carrying frames were previously tilted so as to render the mill inoperative.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, which will appear more fully as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a windmill constructedin accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the windmillshaft and showing the wind-wheel in rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken longitudinally of the windmill-shaft and showing the cam-sleeve thrust into engagement with the hub of the wind-wheel and the tilting frames turned so as to feather the blades.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a windmill-tower, which may be of any ordinary or preferred construction, the same being erected over and above the well-platform, (indicated at 2.) In carrying out the present invention the posts or uprights of the tower are connected at their upper ends to a sockettube 3, provided with an enlarged head or flange 4, which rests upon the upper ends of the posts or uprights, as shown in Fig. 1, the said socket-tube being adapted to receive the head-tube 5 of the main frame of the wind- Serial No. 54,813. (No model.)

mill, said tube extending downward into the socket-tube 3 and being provided at an intermediate point in its length with a circumferential flange 6, which bears on the head 4 of the socket-tube and is adapted to turn thereon. Extending upward from the tube 5 is a standard 7, and connected thereto is a shafttube 8,in which the windmill-shaft 9 is journaled. One end of the tube Sis connected directly with and, in fact, passes through the standard 7, while the outer end of said tube is provided with an enlarged flange or head 10, which is connected to the standard 7 by means of a brace 11.

The head or flange 10 constitutes a guide for a pair of thrust-rods 12, the outer ends of which pass through openings 13 in the flange l0, and the inner or opposite ends of which are pivotally connected to one end of a togglelever 14, which is fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 15 on a triangular-shaped bracket 16, the terminal portions of which are rigidly connected to the standard 7. The longer and heavier arm 17 of the lever 14 extends outward beyond the bracket 16 and serves to normally elevate or uphold the inner arm of the lever in the position shown in Fig. 1. In order to prevent the outer arm 17 of the lever from dropping downward too far, said arm is connected by means of a lever-balance spring or elastic connection 18 with the standard 7, as shownin Fig. 1. The lever 14 is capable of being operated from the ground by means of a controlling hand-operated lever 12, fulcrumed on the tower and connected by means of a spring 20 with the windmill connection.

21, which is preferably in the form of a rod extending upward and connected to the lever 14 at a point adjacent to the point of attachment of the thrust-rods 12.

The wind -wheel comprises, essentially, a hub 22, mounted upon the shaft 9 and fixed thereon by means of a set-screw 23, so that the wheel and shaft always turn together, the shaft being provided at its inner end with a crank 24, to which is connected the pump-rod 25, which attaches at its lower end to the pump-plunger 26 in the usual manner. Radiating from the hub 22 is a series of spokes 27, provided at their outer extremities with divergent bearing-plates 28, in which are pivotally received and journaled the opposite ends of a series of shafts 29, forming portions of a corresponding series of tilting blade-carrying frames. Each of said frames comprises in addition to the shaft 29 parallel stringers 30, to which are secured a series of blades 31, preferably of tapering form, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and pitched at an angle, so as to catch the wind and be operated thereby. The shaft 29 and stringers 30 of each frame are terminally connected by means of end bars 32, which serve to brace the parts and form a stout tilting frame, which is further braced and strengthened by the blades 31, mounted thereon. The tilting frames, together with the blades carried thereby, are adaptedto be oscillated or partially turned on their axes of movement by means of a disk 33, which is mounted on and carried by a cam-sleeve 3i, loosely mounted on the windmill-shaft 9. Connected to the disk 33 at various points in the periphery thereof are links 35, which at their outer ends connect pivotally to a series of arms 36, extending backward laterally from the inner stringers 30 of the tilting frames,the arrangement being such that when the disk 33 is partially turned upon the windmill-shaft the tilting frames will be turned from the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, or vice versa.

In order to reset the blades and tilting frames and impart a reverse turning movement to the disk 33, I provide a resetting device in the form of a spring or elastic connection 37, the outer end of which is connected to an eye or other suitable fastener 38 on one of the spokes of the wheel, the inner end thereof consisting of a flexible band 39, which is wound upon the cam-sleeve 34. When by the means hereinafter described the disk 33 and cam-sleeve 34 are turned to throw the blades 31 into the position shown in Fig. 3, the spring or elasticconnection 37 will be stretched, and consequently when the devices employed for turning the disk and camsleeve are released the spring or elastic connection 37 will operate to turn the disk and cam-sleeve in the opposite direction, thereby unwinding the flexible band 39 from the camsleeve, which causes the disk 33 to turn and draw inward upon the links 35 until the blades 31 are restored to their operative positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The cam-sleeve 34 is provided with'a series of cam projections or teeth 40, which engage corresponding cam surfaces or teeth on the inner end of the hub of the wind-wheel, as shown in Fig. 3, and these cam-surfaces are adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement by sliding the cam-sleeve 34 longitudinally upon the windmill-shaft 9, which sliding movement is imparted to the camsleeve by means of the thrust-rods 12, in turn operated upon by the toggle-lever 14 and windmill connection 21.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by depressing the controlling-lever 19 the thrust-rods 12, passing through the guide-flange 10, push the sleeve 34 into engagement with the cam-surfaces of the wheelhub, and as said cam-surfaces on the sleeve and hub cooperate the cam-sleeve is given a partial turn, and simultaneously therewith equal movement is imparted to the disk 33, which thereupon operates through the medium of the links 35 to tilt the blade-carrying frames from the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which latter position the blades are out of the wind. Upon releasing the controlling-lever 19 the resetting-spring 37 operates to turn the cam-sleeve 34 and disk 33 in the opposite direction, which has the elfect of drawing inward upon the links 35 and restoring the tilting frames and the blades thereon to their operative positions. The cam-sleeve 34 and disk 33 are loose on the shaft 9 and constantly revolve with the wind-wheel on account of the connection between the disk and tilting frames.

I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement hereinabove set forth and accordingly reserve the right to change, modify,or vary the construction with-.

in the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a windmill, the combination with the windmill-shaft, of a wind-wheel comprisinga plurality of tilting blade-carrying frames comprising a central shaft, parallel stringers, and end bars and provided with laterallyprojecting arms, a rotatable disk surrounding the shaft, links connecting said arms and disk, and a blade-resettin g device controlling said disk.

2. In a windmill, the combination with the windmill-shaft, of a wind-wheel thereon comprising a series of tilting blade carrying frames each comprising a central shaft, parallel stringers and end bars, a rotary disk loose on said shaft and operatively connected to each of said frames, means for yieldingly resisting the turning movement of the disk, a cam-sleeve on which the disk is mounted slidable on the shaft for engaging the windwheel, and connections for operating said cam-sleeve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL PLAGMANN.

. Vitnesses:

J. H. BRANCH, B. E. NoWLEN. 

